2. Procreative Family Attitudes of American and Foreign Students

Abstract

There are many factors which affect the decision of the individual as to the number of children desired. Among these, the present study indicates that nationality and religion are included. About 73 percent of the foreign students want to have two children only and 15 percent want three children only. About 57 percent of the American students want two children and 35 percent want three children only. A very small proportion from both national groups want more than three children. In analyzing student attitudes toward family planning, it has been found that American and foreign students have similar attitudes in regard to divorce of barren wife by nationality and social class. Social class has a significant effect on whether more children are desired with more income is concerned. Regarding the relationship of increased security with more children, the attitudes are similar by social class and by religion, but differ significantly by nationality. Roughly one fifth of the foreign students and two-fifths of the American students would feel more secure with more children. For the best age for marriage no significant differences are in evidence by nationality or by social class. For the timing of the first child and the number of siblings in the family of orientation, no significant differences were found by social class or by religion. The use of contraceptives and the number of children desired has no significant difference by social class, though the effects of nationality and religion are significant. Of thirteen chi-square tests (Siegel, 1956, 104-111 and 175-179) comparing American students to foreign students, only two tests tend to support the research hypothesis. Hence, we can conclude that similar education has had very limited consensual effect on the attitudes of the foreign students regarding the procreative family. The hypothesis based on Long's assertion is not tenable namely that common educational experience will tend to eliminate differences in attitudes. The findings agree with Wesotowski's statement that the motives of people's behavior depend on the type of culture in which they were brought up and in which they live.